The United States’ Fort Sumpter in South Carolina fell to the Confederates on April 13, 1861, effectively initiating the Civil War. Four days later Confederate President Jefferson Davis authorized private vessels to capture or destroy Union commercial sailing vessels.
This decision had a severe impact on Maine’s seafaring fleet and the coastal economy. During the war eighty-eight Maine vessels were captured, sunk, burned, damaged, or released then recaptured by what were called “Confederate raiders.” In addition Confederate navy cruisers, the Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Shenandoah and Sumpter, sank their share of Union ships.
| Date | Year | Vessels |
| 12-May | 1861 | Machias-built State of Maine |
| 18-May | 1861 | Bath-built Milan and Rockland-built Ocean Eagle |
| 19-May | 1861 | Brunswick-built A. B. Thompson |
| 21-May | 1861 | Bath-built Ariel |
| 3-Jun | 1861 | Rockland-built Joseph |
| 3-Jul | 1861 | Brewer-built Golden Rocket |
| 4-Jul | 1861 | Milbridge-built Cuba and Machias-built Machias |
| 5-Jul | 1861 | Falmouth-built Ben Dunning |
| 9-Jul | 1861 | Searsport-built Mary E. Thompson and Mary Goodell, and Machias-built Mary Alice |
| 23-Jul | 1861 | Freeport-built Blen |
| 26-Jul | 1861 | Dennysville-built Albert Adams and Prospect-built William McGilvery |
| 4-Aug | 1861 | Stockton-built Windward |
| 6-Aug | 1861 | Eastport-built Santa Clara |
| 25-Aug | 1861 | Ellsworth-built Agricola |
| 9-Sep | 1861 | Stockton-built Joseph Park |
| 12-Oct | 1861 | Cape Elizabeth-built Grenada |
| 17-Oct | 1861 | Wells-built Betsy Ames |
| 29-Oct | 1861 | Searsport-built Alina, Castine-built Baron de Castine, and Bangor-built Elsinor |
| 30-Oct | 1861 | Searsport-built B. K. Eaton |
| 26-Nov | 1861 | Hampden-built Arcade |
| 28-Nov | 1861 | Bath-built Montmorenci |
| 3-Dec | 1861 | Bath-built Vigilant |
| 1-Jan | 1862 | Maine-built Estelle |
| 18-Jan | 1862 | Searsport-built Investigator |
| 6-Mar | 1862 | Stockton-built Marcus |
| 7-Aug | 1862 | East Deering-built Martha Wenzell |
| 11-Oct | 1862 | Calais-built Lamplighter |
| 23-Oct | 1862 | Freeport-built Lafayette |
| 28-Oct | 1862 | Damariscotta-built Lauretta |
| 2-Jan | 1863 | Kennebunk-built Anna F. Schmidt |
| 10-Jan | 1863 | Bucksport-built J. P. Ellicott |
| 19-Feb | 1863 | Pembroke-built Emma L. Hall |
| 27-Feb | 1863 | Pittston-built Washington |
| 1-Mar | 1863 | Thomaston-built Bethia Thayer |
| 2-Mar | 1863 | Hallowell-built John A. Parks |
| 4-Apr | 1863 | Rockland-built Louisa Hatch |
| 25-Apr | 1863 | Robbinston-built Dictator |
| 26-Apr | 1863 | Yarmouth-built Dorcas Prince |
| 3-May | 1863 | Trescott-built Sea Lark |
| 13-May | 1863 | Prospect-built M. J. Colcord |
| 5-Jun | 1863 | Damariscotta-built Talisman |
| 6-Jun | 1863 | Blue Hill-built Whistling Wind |
| 12-Jun | 1863 | Frankfort-built Arabella |
| 14-Jun | 1863 | Sullivan-built Umpire |
| 25-Jun | 1863 | Cape Elizabeth-built Village |
| 26-Jun | 1863 | Bath-built Constitution |
| 28-Jun | 1863 | Bath-built City of Bath |
| 8-Jul | 1863 | Milbridge-built William B. Nash |
| 9-Jul | 1864 | Brunswick-built Greenland |
| 10-Aug | 1864 | South Bristol-built Etta Caroline |
| 11-Aug | 1864 | Columbia Falls-built A. Richards, Addison-built Atlantic, Cutler-built Carrie Estelle, Machias-built Carroll, and Bath-built John Carver |
| 12-Aug | 1864 | Gardiner-built Billow, Tremont-built Spokane, and Belfast-built Suliot |
| 13-Aug | 1864 | Thomaston-built Glenavon |
| 14-Aug | 1864 | Georgetown-built vessel Floral Wreath, Brewer-built James Littlefield, and Maine-built Magnolia |
| 15-Aug | 1864 | Boothbay-built Restless |
| 16-Aug | 1864 | Harpswell-built P. C. Alexander and Maine-built Pearl |
| 17-Aug | 1864 | Rockland-built Josiah Achorn |
| 20-Aug | 1864 | Harrington-built Roan |
| 30-Oct | 1864 | Brewer-built Mark L. Potter |
| 31-Oct | 1864 | Harpswell-built vessel Albion Lincoln and Milbridge-built Emma L. Hall, captured at Chickamauga |
| 3-Nov | 1864 | Rockland-built A. J. Bird and Cape Elizabeth-built E. F. Lewis |
| 29-Dec | 1864 | Bangor-built vessel Delphine |
“Maine-built” indicates unknown local origin.
Additional resources
Rowe, William Hutchinson. The Maritime History of Maine. New York. W.W. Norton. 1989. Table data from pp.315-316.